Frequency drop with trip of Callide C3 on Friday 4th April 2025
A quick record of unit trip at CPP3, and associated frequency drop, on Friday 4th April 2025.
Articles by Paul McArdle
Paul was one of the founders of Global-Roam in February 2000. He is currently the CEO of the company and the principal author of WattClarity. Writing for WattClarity has become a natural extension of his work in understanding the electricity market, enabling him to lead the team in developing better software for clients.
Before co-founding the company, Paul worked as a Mechanical Engineer for the Queensland Electricity Commission in the early 1990s. He also gained international experience in Japan, the United States, Canada, the UK, and Argentina as part of his ES Cornwall Memorial Scholarship.
What’s the AEMO been considering, as a possible solution to the delayed receipt of Target?
3rd article in a series, about the AEMO's ICF0002 initiative - and a possible 'solution' being considered (but for which we have concerns).
What’s the problem(s) with dispatch targets arriving ~20 seconds into the Dispatch Interval?
2nd article in a series, about the AEMO's ICF0002 initiative (re problems with the ~20 second lag in receipt of Dispatch Target).
Challenges in ‘Time taken for Dispatch Targets to be made available to participants’ (ICF002)
1st article in a series, about the AEMO's ICF0002 initiative (specifically the content in EWCF meeting on 19th March 2024).
Frequency excursion on Monday 31st March 2025
A very short article to note an apparent mainland frequency excursion (just prior to 17:00 NEM time on Monday 31st March 2025).
News articles (in the Australian) about losses at Zen Energy during Wind Drought
On Monday 24th March 2024 Colin Packham published two articles about Zen Energy and the Wind Drought of 2024 Q2, and Zen Energy published a response. Here's a record for east of future reference.
Two diagrams to help illustrate the changes coming with FPP (Frequency Performance Payments)
We've facilitated a number of articles on WattClarity relating to the looming FPP changes (now 10 weeks away). Here's two images I've drawn up to (hopefully) illustrate my understanding of what these changes represent.
Back to forecast LOR2 for NSW for this evening (Sunday 16th March 2025)
A quick note showing the re-emergence of forecast LOR2 with a climbing forecast for evening demand in NSW.
Evening volatility in NSW on Saturday 15th March 2025
A very short article with this snapshot from NEMwatch at 18:20 (NEM time) on Saturday 15th March 2025 to mark evening volatility in NSW
About the ‘S-HUBG’ and ‘S-HUWT’ constraint sets, and yesterday’s network outage on Yorke Peninsula
With ElectraNet's unplanned network outage on Fri 14th March 2025, a quick look at the ‘S-HUBG’ and 'S-HUWT' constraint sets
ElectraNet experienced multiple faults on the transmission network Friday 14th March 2025 impacting power supply to the Yorke Peninsula.
Early on Friday morning 14th March 2025, ElectraNet experienced an unplanned network outage - including the Hummocks - Bungama 132 kV line, and Hummocks - Waterloo 132 kV line. Here's a first look.
Sunday 16th March could be a stinker in NSW … including with sporadic forecasts of LOR2
An article on DTN (formerly Weatherzone) prompts a look at forecasts for NSW this Sunday 16th March 2025
Down to ~17,000 customers off supply in south-east Queensland (not forgetting northern NSW)
It’s Friday morning 14th March 2025 and a quick review at the Energex Outage finder shows that we’re down to ‘only’ ~17,000 customers off supply
Burst of volatility in NSW and QLD (and Actual LOR1) on Thursday 13th March 2025
A short note with a snapshot from NEMwatch at 17:40 (NEM time) on Thursday 13th March 2025 to mark some volatility.
Three headline observations, about the use of proxies for System Frequency in Frequency Control mechanisms
Various authors have shared articles about frequency, frequency control and Regulation FCAS in recent times (including 6 from Linton). Here's three things that jumped out to me in these pieces of analysis.
‘Market Demand’ in TAS drops by 151MW on Wednesday 12th March 2025
A quick article to record this large drop in 'Market Demand' in TAS, notified to us by the ‘Notifications’ widget in ez2view at 12:00 (NEM time) on Wednesday 12th March 2025.
Gremlins in AEMO systems publish rogue APC alert for South Australia, Sunday 9th March 2025
Which much attention focused on Queensland (in the wash out that has been TC Albert) a rogue Administered Pricing Notice (MN125439) for South Australia was a head scratcher, on Sunday 9th March 2025.
ex-TC Alfred makes landfall overnight, many more unplanned network outages result
It’s Sunday morning 9th March 2025 and a reference to the Energex Outage Map shows many more orange splotches denoting unplanned outages (by virtue of ex-TC Alfred).
What other details are visible, of those network trips in northern NSW yesterday (Fri 7th March 2025)?
Taking another look (on Saturday afternoon 8th March 2025) at what we can see of those network elements in northern NSW that tripped on Friday morning 7th March ... possibly related (or possibly unrelated)...
Power Outages in Northern NSW and South-East Queensland at Saturday morning 8th March 2025
A Saturday morning update (8th March 2025) following the overnight advance of TC Alfred.